


Far Longer Than Forever

by Topographical_Map_Of_Utah



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Fairy Rey, Finn Solo, Knight Poe, M/M, Prince Finn, Smut, Vaginal Fingering, because why the hell not honestly, fairytale AU, idk - Freeform, or is it more of a swan princess AU, point is: swans, swan lake AU, trans Finn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-24
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-25 13:21:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9822419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Topographical_Map_Of_Utah/pseuds/Topographical_Map_Of_Utah
Summary: Finn, crown prince of D'Qar, has gone missing, and Poe is rather anxious to find him.





	1. Chapter 1

 A gust of wind danced over the lake, the glassy surface sparkling with drops of dying sunlight. The spot was picturesque, really; a watercolour of deep blues and frigid whites, but being submerged up to his ankles in river muck killed any appreciation Poe would otherwise have had for the place. It was uncomfortable, it was wet, and if he wasn't mistaken that was thunder rumbling a couple clicks away. He shifted in his waterlogged boots and fiddled uneasily with his crossbow, fingers numb on the metal. The sooner he could get this over with, the better. 

He had heard a story, a rumour more like, that deep in the border woods there lived a lone swan, a beautiful creature who had appeared one day out of the blue. How a mute swan had found its way to Yavin, no one knew. Poe had thought they only lived in the North. Or was it the West? Maybe it was North-East, actually. Poe had failed geography.

Too twisted and winding for most hunters to brave, the woods the swan inhabited had laid untouched for near centuries. Poe, however, was both a man on a mission and as stubborn as a mule. Said mission had led him to a secluded corner of his kingdom, where an haruspex had claimed that if Poe brought the swan's body to him, he would be able to track down what Poe was looking for.

Call him a fool for trusting shady old men who spent their days hunched over in badly lit caves, but Poe was getting desperate, here. You try losing the love of your life and reacting reasonably.

Betrothed from childhood, he and Finn had been lucky enough to actually enjoy each other's company. A rare occurrence, so far as arranged marriages went. Their childhood attachment had grown from fondness to affection to easy, familiar love, steady and unwavering as the North Star. The sex was great, too. All in all Poe was pretty anxious to get his fiancé back. 

One month ago, on the eve of their wedding (bummer), Finn had disappeared. No warning, no note. Only an open window in the war room and the tatters of his sleep clothes lying heaped on the floor. It seems he had come up with a plan in the middle of the night that simply couldn't wait for morning. It was scribbled out on a scroll by the map, brilliant as always, but the tactician behind it was nowhere in sight.

The memory opened the door to others like it and Poe found himself musing, chin resting on the stock of his crossbow as he flipped through the scrapbook in his mind. Their history together went so far back that the first time he had met Finn, Poe had been introduced as a babysitter. An awkward shift in relationship, looking back on it, but Yavin's political ties with D'Qar had had to be cemented early. And if that meant having Poe spend his summers playing hide-and-seek and reading bedtime stories, so be it.  

Things had been pretty different, back then. Finn especially. In the early days the poor kid's hair had been done up in intricate twin buns on the sides of his head, the way his adopted mother wore hers when she was younger. He had worn embroidered silk dress patterned with tiny white flowers, a miniature pearl choker that shone against his skin, and they had all called him Flora.

The dress, Finn had been okay with. It was everything else that he couldn't stand. He had hated his voice, his hair, the way those pretty silver shoes pinched his toes. But he had kept all that close to his chest, right up until his seventh birthday. The night he arrived at the palace Poe had come across him panicking in his bedroom, a pair of shears in one thin hand and his curls lying strewn around his mirror. Twenty minutes into the visit, and this was already shaping up to be an unusual summer.

Finn's explanation had been made in jolts and stutters, bordering on unintelligible, half the time. He knew his parents would be mad, but he really liked his hair better this way, really he did, and he hadn't meant to cut so much but he had just wanted to see how it would look and he liked it a whole lot more and he didn't understand and he knew Poe hated him for it and-

And then Poe had brushed away the stray clumps of hair scratching at his neck, handed over the blueberry tart he had charmed out of the pastry chef, scooped Finn up and rocked him until the tears stopped flowing and the sobs turned to snuffling hiccups. Poe's reaction had all been mechanical. Instinct, really. In all honesty he had no clue how he was meant to approach this. 

 

_"I want them to know." Finn's voice was thick, slurred with hiccups and snot. Poe tried to wipe his cheeks with a handkerchief but Finn just buried his face in his collar and sniffled. "I want them to know. But I'm scared and I can't hide no more and now my hair's missing and they're gonna know and they're gonna hate me and-"_

_"Hey, shh, it's okay. It's okay that you're scared, buddy." Poe felt Finn whimpering something indistinct and hopelessly garbled, but Poe's teens hadn't been spent babysitting only to leave him incapable of deciphering what tears meant. "You want me to tell them?"_

_"Uh-huh."_

_"Ok. What d'you want me to say?"_

_"That I'm really sorry."_

_"Don't be sorry. You've got nothing to be sorry for, Flo-" Poe caught himself, blinking down at the head of uneven curls resting on his chest. "Seems weird to call you Flora, doesn't it? You want me to call you something else?"_

_"I get a new name?"_

_"If you want one. Any ideas?" Finn shook his head and Poe smiled, even though in his head there was nothing but a big red banner that read WHAT THE FUCK DO I NAME THIS KID. "How about..." he swallowed. "How about Finn?"_

_"Finn." The name sounded right in his mouth. It rolled off of the tongue, firm and simple. "I like Finn."_

_"I like Finn, too." Poe agreed. That sentence alone was enough to make Finn laugh a little bit, eyes bright with more than just tears. "Okay, Finn. I'll deal with this soon's I can. You just sleep now, alright?"_

_"You're gonna stay 'till I fall asleep, right, Poe?"_

_"I'm gonna stay for as long as you need me. Promise."_

 

 The smile quirking at Poe's lips stuttered when a telltale splash snapped him back into the moment. He cocked an arrow and held his breath in uneasy anticipation, hands steady from years of hunting. This was it; no turning back now.

Well, technically that was still an option, but Poe was making the executive decision to disregard it.

The swan glided quietly into the lake, water rippling out around it like silk in the wind. Lowering his crossbow, Poe took a moment to watch its graceful, effortless movements, the easy curve of its snowy neck like a ballerina performing an arabesque. Guilt twisted in his chest as the swan stilled under a weeping willow and preened. It seemed a shame to kill the poor thing. Although if it meant seeing Finn again... 

Yet for some reason Poe was having a real hard time pulling the trigger.

Instead he crept through the brambles, all watchful eyes and careful steps. The swan didn't seem to be aware of his presence, or maybe it didn't care. It just drifted languidly, a watery wedding veil rippling in its wake. Poe would draw it, if he could. Finn could draw, had drawn Poe on many an occasion, actually. For a moment Poe's mind drifted to a particularly memorable figure drawing session, then the clouds parted overhead and the swan paused in its course.

Moonlight glittered on the crown of its head, spilled and spread until its whole body shimmered like mica. It turned and headed towards shore - towards Poe- with a new sense of purpose.

As it approached Poe its feathers ruffled and melted away, smoothing into dark, glistening skin. It straightened its neck and seemed to grow taller, broader. When the swan stepped out of the lake it wasn't a swan at all, but a man. A man who was looking into Poe's eyes like a castaway sailor stares at a ship on the horizon, or a wounded deer blinks at a wolf. The crushing fear and burning hope both seemed to fit, somehow.

"Hey, Poe." That voice, rough with disuse as it was, brought back altogether too many memories for Poe to handle. In a stupefied trance, Poe stepped forward and reached out, taking a breath when Finn took him by the hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. It was the same kiss Finn had given him the first time they met. That had been a little awkward, admittedly. Nine years between them and Finn had been the one to make the first move. He had been a rather forward five-year-old. 

"You're alive." Poe managed, voice coming out in a little whoosh. "Finn, you're..."

"I'm naked, that's what I am." Finn grumbled. As an apology for his breach in chivalry Poe unlatched his cloak and draped it over Finn's shivering shoulders. His fingers trembled on the heavy green fabric he was arranging. Impossible to play it cool while Finn watched him with steady eyes, warm as freshly turned earth. They reminded Poe of those summers back home, the sweetness of peaches and sticky heat of that field of clover.

Things had been so simple, back then. None of this curse-breaking nonsense. Just him, Finn, and a future laid out with the terms all neatly written out in black ink. What he wouldn't give to be back there, back in that Eden where nothing mattered but keeping a smile on Finn's lips and making sure they were at the kitchen door by suppertime.

Poe dismissed that line of thought with a derisive snort, tugging the cloak around Finn with a decisive yank. Age really did make you nostalgic for stupid shit, didn't it?

"You sure are a sight for sore eyes." he said simply, with no mention of his poetic musings. 

"Same could be said for you." As he spoke Finn led Poe towards the weeping willow, plonking him down in a bed of soft, dewy grass that curled around its roots. Poe held out his arms and Finn was quick to move in with a hungry kiss, dropping his weight in Poe's lap like a cat claiming a patch of sunlight on the windowsill. "God, I missed you..."

"Mm." After a good five minutes of languid kissing and lazy nuzzles Poe mustered up the willpower to open one eye, a venture that took more effort than he cared to admit. Easing away from Finn's lips was an even more daunting task. But he managed, resting against the rough tree bark with one hand still cupping Finn's face, lips pink and breath stuttering. "Time out, sweetheart. Not that I'm not overjoyed to see you, but you are gonna explain what the hell's going on, aren't you?"

"I'd tell you if I knew." Finn shrugged. "Political intrigue mixed with fantasy bullshit, probably. I'm too tired to figure it all out right now. All I know is one second I'm my handsome self, just trying to clean up the cavalry formation, then poof." He snapped his fingers for emphasis. "Suddenly I'd go great with yellow pepper sauce and vinegar." 

"But why a swan, of all things?" That part bewildered Poe a little bit. Who curses someone by turning them into waterfowl? He thought that frogs were the standard when it came to cursing princes.

"Because I'm fucking gorgeous. What hunter would pass up shooting down this fine feathered ass?" Finn pointed out. Indulgence softened his voice to a purr, so even if his words were coarse, the warm tone gave away just how much he was enjoying having Poe's hands on him, having someone to talk too. "Least that's what I figure." 

"You do make a lovely swan. Better human, though."

"Glad you think so." Finn snuggled closer and Poe's hands slipped underneath the cloak, wandering the firm planes of Finn's sides and stomach, the soft curve of his breasts. Usually Finn covered those up with tunics and armour, but around Poe he was safe with his body, with the touch that bled tenderness and warmth. How badly Poe had missed this, just having Finn close, within arms reach. It was one thing when duty called him away, but another thing entirely when it was a curse that dictated his coming and going. At least Poe had a degree of control over the fighting. Magic? He couldn't possibly be more helpless.

"Leave with me. Let me take you home." he said suddenly. A resigned sigh puffed against his chest but Poe persisted, squeezing Finn even tighter to his chest. There was a desperation it it he refused to acknowledge. "No, listen, you'll be safe there, I promise. Your mother's so worried about you. She wouldn't care that you're a bird half the time. And hey, we could just do everything at night, if you like. That way you don't have to miss anything. We could have balls at night, war council at night, breakfast at night..."

"You already do that." Finn poked Poe's belly and smiled. "But that wouldn't work, unfortunately. This lake's the only place where I can change back. I can't go with you unless you feel like permanently declaring your love to a waterfowl. Odds are the kitchen would try and cook me up for the wedding."

"But..." Well, there go all of Poe's hopes and dreams. Those things were as hard to keep hold of as a greased pig. "So what can I do?"

"Stay, for a little while." Warmth seeped into Poe's chest as Finn curled up against him, familiar and safe and comforting, heartbeat as steady as the step of marching soldiers. Of course, they could simply lay here all night, let the forest come alive around them with dancing trees and fireflies. Then again, a reunion like this was cause for celebration, even if there were still a few wrinkles that needed ironing. 

"Hey, Finn, sweetheart? Uh, not to come off too strong or anything, but I was thinking..."

"Of debauchery? That's not news, lover. When aren't you thinking about that?" 

"How'd you know?" Because in all seriousness, having Finn underneath him again had been the subject of more than a couple lonely fantasies over the past few months. Finn pressed a kiss to Poe's cheek and fell back, the cloak falling open around him. A sheepish smile spread across Poe's face and he clambered between Finn's legs, smoothing out the cloak and running his hands over the corded thickness of his thighs. Well, that had been easy.

"'Cause I know you." Finn grinned and thrust his hips up with an insistent wiggle. Seems as though he had had enough with the pleasantries. "Now hurry up and deflower me already, would you? I've sat through shorter portrait sessions..."

"Sorry for taking in the scenery." Poe laughed, spreading Finn's wet folds and pressing a kiss to his collar. Finn made a grab for Poe's crotch and got his hand swatted away with a chastising shush. "Easy, tiger. We have to save something for the wedding night." 

"Huh? Aw, don't tell me I have to make an honest man outta you before we can have any fun. Or did you lose the key to your chastity belt? I can pick locks, you know-"

Finn had more to say, but his voice hitched as Poe dragged his tongue up and latched onto his clit, all heat and gentle pressure. Everything went a little sideways then, Finn's whole body fizzling out like beer foam at the top of the decanter. Already his mind felt like a cloud being tossed around in the wind, fluffy and buzzing, happy to melt in surrender. So that's what he set about doing, letting his muscles go pliant and curling his fingers in Poe's hair. Sure, this didn't break the spell or anything, but why deny himself life's simple pleasures?

"But this is definitely on the wedding night agenda, too." Finn added as an dazed afterthought. 

"That a royal decree, Highness? I'm more than happy to oblige." 

"Then get back to work." Finn said merrily, a happy sigh humming in his chest. Poe saluted before ducking back down, nuzzling into the trail of curling hair that led down from Finn's belly button, purring against his slick skin. A low moan caught in Finn's throat and he slumped back with a shudder. The night was cold but he could feel his whole body burning up, heartbeat thudding in his throat.

"Poe, please...God that feels good..." Humming, Poe slid his hand down from where it rested on Finn's stomach, tracing through his damp curls, gentle on the puffy skin that was begging for attention. After collecting himself Finn snorted and jabbed his knee into Poe's ribs. "You looking for something down there?"

"Can I..." Poe wriggled his fingers and Finn cocked his head, teasing him with pretend confusion. That simple gesture alone raised the colour in Poe's stubbled cheeks. How old was he, again? "Inside." he managed, blushing like this wasn't a nightly occurrence. Finn laughed and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Adorable probably wasn't the word for the commander of Yavin's elite strike force, but still. Poe was adorable. 

"'Course." Hunger burnt in Finn's stomach as he watched Poe suck his fingers, tracing them over Finn's dripping folds, cooing a bit to himself. Even Finn was surprised at how easily they breached him, filling and stretching just enough to make him whine. Add that to the kisses Poe was showering his chest with and Finn might very well go up in a puff of happy, horny smoke.

"You're setting us up for a scandal, Commander Dameron. This's no position for the crown prince of D'Qar to be found in..." he warned indulgently. Reluctant, Poe pulled his lips off of Finn's nipple and offered a dazed smile. His eyes held a syrupy warmth, heavy-lidded and crinkled in satisfaction.

"How so, highness? I _am_ promised to you. This's our prerogative." 

"Maybe, but- _Oh._  Right there. Please." The breathy plea slipped past his lips and Finn felt Poe moving inside him, grazing against the spot with cautious enthusiasm.

"Here?" Finn whimpered an affirmative and spread his legs, looking down to watch Poe's fingers sliding in and out of his body. Slick glistened white on his skin and Finn had to catch his breath. The sight was intoxicating, heady as a rich red wine. Already he felt his thighs beginning to tremble, core tightening under the heel of Poe's hand and sweat dripping down the back of his knees.

"Yeah. I...Oh, shit." Finn scrunched his eyes shut and gave in, just let the wet squelches and feeling of fullness burn him from the inside out. Without further warning he clenched around Poe's fingers in a spasm, pulsing against his lips and tongue with a guttural moan. When his back arched Poe held him in place, murmuring indistinct praise against his skin and tracing kisses up his aching body: belly button, nipples, the sensitive dip above his collarbone. Every spot Finn could have wanted Poe found and lavished with dutiful attention. He was already familiar with them, but no harm in having a refresher.

"You alright?" Poe asked, voice quiet in Finn's ear. Now Finn wasn't quite sure when he had found his way up here, but he figured it was somewhere in between that flash of white light that had momentarily fried his brain and the feeling of the cloak being gathered up around his shoulders, the twitchy warmth that he was always brimming with afterwards.

"Never been better." A smile spread across Poe's face and Finn pressed a kiss to the corner, the rough catch of stubble a pleasant burn on his lips. "You staying the night?"

"If you'll have me."

"Then tonight's your lucky night." With that Finn snuggled against Poe with a nod and a sigh, vaguely wondering what they would have for breakfast the next morning. Because as far as Finn was concerned they were home, they were in bed, and he wasn't going to have to run away in the morning, wasn't going to leave behind the man he loved for a second time.

Now what was the harm in believing that for a little while longer?


	2. Chapter 2

A few minutes, Finn wagered, eyes on the pink tinting the edges of the navy blue sky. That's how long he had left until the sun came up. Probably best for him to skedaddle before he began sprouting feathers. But when he tried to make his escape a pair of familiar arms locked around him, so safe and warm that for a moment Finn struggled with the very idea of leaving. What finally compelled him was the thought of how Poe probably wouldn't appreciate waking up to find that he was rutting against waterfowl. That might put a snag in the relationship.

"Poe, lover, could you maybe let go of me? Kinda struggling to breath, here."

"No. Morning cuddles." 

"More like morning asphyxiation." Finn mumbled. Poe just grunted, unconvinced. "Poe." When all that got him was another grunt and an insistent hug Finn sighed in resignation. This guy. "What am I going to do with you..." 

"Keep me, I hope." Poe's face was buried in Finn's neck, but Finn could hear a crack in his voice, the thin line down a teacup that's about to shatter. Sighing, Finn tilted Poe's chin up for inspection. Maybe it was the greyish morning light, but his face seemed to pale, become drawn and tired and almost old. How long he had been searching, Finn couldn't tell. To him at least, it had felt like a lifetime.

"Hey." He dragged his hand through Poe's thick curls, tugging a bit on the upstroke. An old habit of his, the only way to reassure Poe that he was safe, the only way to ease him back to sleep when summer storms rattled the windows and bore down on the castle walls.

Poe and his mother had been caught at sea in one such storm, years ago. Their ship capsized, and the last thing Poe had seen of his mother was her hand, grasping and thrashing as the frothing waves pulled her down. No wonder the poor guy woke up screaming on a monthly basis. They coped, though. Finn was perfectly willing to spend hours lying there with Poe trembling in his arms, stroking his hair and whispering a lullaby in his ear. So Finn pulled Poe close and did that now. After all, this was nothing but a different type of storm.

Poe hummed along to the lullaby into the collar of Finn's cloak, mouthing the words against his neck. That came as a bit of a surprise. "Now how d'you know the words?"

"Why wouldn't I? I'm the one who came up with the damn thing." Poe revealed. That might be true, actually. Finn had vague memories of someone who wasn't his mother or father singing him to sleep, someone warm and squishy who smelled like gunpowder and peanuts. "There's another stanza, y'know. You never stayed awake long enough to hear it." Finn squeezed Poe hopefully and he sighed, slowly starting up the song from where Finn had left off.

 __I_ don't recall the last time, but the first is clear as day _  
_My memory is brittle, and it's crumbling like clay._

 _There was you and I and a clear blue sky_  
_We thought we could damn near fly._  
_And with your arms around me tight,_  
_Angel, I think we just might._

"That's kind of pretty." Finn sighed. "Where d'you think we'd go? If we could fly, I mean." 

"Anywhere. I don't care. But we'd be together." Poe unlatched the cloak and Finn rolled to his feet, trying to work a kink out of his shoulder. The only problem he had when it came to sleeping with Poe was his tendency to wrap himself around Finn like a vine on a tree. Kind of bad for blood circulation, that. "That'd be the important thing." he added, voice quiet and unsure.

"Look at me, lover. It'll be alright, got that? We'll figure this out." To seal the promise Finn pressed a quick kiss to Poe's crinkled forehead. He didn't want it to feel like a goodbye kiss. It was nothing more than an _I'm going for a walk_ kiss, a _see you in a minute_ kiss. It was normal and unassuming and hopefully enough to tie Poe over until they met again. "I'll be home soon."

"Really?" 

"Truly. Don't you trust me?"

And with that Finn winked and flipped the cloak unceremoniously over Poe's face. Poe spared a couple choice expletives while he wrestled with the fabric, the deep laughter Finn had coached for himself rumbling like an organ note on cathedral arches. But by the time Poe managed to get free Finn was nowhere in sight. In his stead he heard a skittering splash on the water and caught the flash of a white wing, curved in flight.

"No..." Poe scrambled to his feet, but all he could do was watch helplessly as Finn took to the air. His silhouette stood black against the sky, edges glowing golden in the sunrise. Poe watched until he was nothing but a speck in the blueness, sun and tears stinging his eyes in equal measure. 

"Don't leave." he said softly. The cloak in his arms was still warm from Finn and Poe held it close, held it the way he would hold Finn, if he could stay. "Don't leave me."

For a moment Poe stood there, unsure how to proceed. Losing Finn so soon was more of a shock than finding him in the first place.

He had more to contemplate, but was interrupted by a whoosh of air behind him, reminiscent of a sword slicing through the air. Poe whirled around and was smacked back into the lake, the wind knocked out of him by a blow to the chest that left his ribs black and blue. Well now, that was just swell.

As he hit the water Poe took a moment to reflect on his current situation. This sure was a great way to start the day. Right up there with coffee and a stack of Finn's special-occasion blueberry pancakes. Apparently the secret ingredient was love. And half a quart of butter.  

Unfortunately, instead of having a mouthful of syrup and whipped cream, Poe was currently choking on reeds and some less than refreshing river water. Spluttering, he came up for air and went cross-eyed looking at the carved staff pointing at his nose. It was being brandished by a young woman in the embroidered tunic of Yavin's palace guard, her freckled face drawn up in a scowl. He spat out a tadpole and gulped. Now would be a great time for that notorious mouth of his to dig him out of this hole.

"Uh..." he coughed. "Hi."

Yup. And that right there was why they called him Silver Tongue back at the academy.

"I've nothing to say to you, hunter." the girl spat, tilting Poe's chin up with the butt of her staff. "If you know what's good for you, you'll leave now."

"Alright, alright, look at me leaving. I'm leaving, look-" Poe was making an honest effort to drag himself back on shore, then there was a flurry of white feathers descending on him and Poe squawked in surprise. "Jesus-"

As he landed Finn let loose a defensive hiss and spread his wings, shielding Poe's body with his own. Poe would appreciate the gesture, except Finn was sitting square on his chest. Swans were heavier than one would think.

"Hey, babe." he grunted. Finn ruffled his feathers before clambering off of Poe and scrambling onto the shore. Upon Finn's dramatic entrance the girl had leapt back, but her reaction didn't go any further than casually startled. Strangely enough, she and Finn seemed to already be acquainted.

"The fuck, Finn?" she demanded. "You dumbass, he's a damn _hunter-_ "

"What? No, not a hunter, I swear. Disregard the crossbow." Poe added, realising that might be a rather incriminating object to have on him at the moment. The girl cocked her head and Poe noticed something strange. Her ears came to a sharp point at the tip and her eyes shimmered like a mirage on desert dunes. Not to mention the sigils glowing on her tunic. "Who the hell _are_ you?"

"Finn's fairy godmother. Who the hell are you?" Finn squawked and Rey turned to him, nodding slowly as he explained the situation in hoarse squeaks and snorts. Poe sure hoped the conversation was going well. 

"Wait, that's Poe?" After an affirmative whistle from Finn the girl lowered her staff, contemplating Poe with narrowed eyes. "Huh. You're older since last time I checked in." She leant in closer and scrunched up her nose. "A _lot_ older."

"And you seem kind of young to be anyone's godmother." Poe countered. He extended his hand and she took it, yanking him out of the water with astonishing strength. He made a mental note not to irk her any more than was necessary.

"Honourary title. I just took over for my dad. I'm Rey, by the way."

"Wait, Rey?" The glimmer of a memory flickered in the back of Poe's mind, a drawing Finn had done when he was six of a girl holding a stick and flanked by flashes of lightning. Apparently she was to blame for the baby dragon Finn had presented Poe with on his birthday. Poe hadn't believed in imaginary friends until that day. "Huh. Pleasure. Now, uh, just outta curiosity, you wouldn't happen to be able to explain..." Poe cleared his throat and Finn squawked for added emphasis. "That?" 

"Oh, yeah. I did that." Poe jumped at the indignant honk Finn let loose. He seemed to be unamused by that revelation. "I have a reason, I swear. You think I pulled this shit for laughs? Besides, we can go home now, at least for a little bit."

"How's he gonna turn back? If we leave, he's stuck as a swan, right?" 

"He could turn back here 'cause of the fairy tree." Rey nodded at the willow they had sheltered themselves under the night before. Poe had attributed its soft blue glow to moonlight, but even with the sun shining it still retained the watery light of fireflies. Poe rubbed his forehead and sighed. This was too much magic for one day. "I suppose if I came along, that would be enough to turn him human." Rey continued. "By the way, Poe, how'd you find him?"

"There was some guy at the bottom of the hill. Real greasy type. Sent me up here to hunt Finn." Rey's expression was reminiscent of someone who had just bit into a lemon. "You know him?"

"Unkar. Oh, he's had his eye on Finn since he flew out here." Rey grumbled and hefted her staff, eyes glittering with a dark light. "Okay, I swear we're gonna go home, but only after I kick his bloated ass into next Thursday..."

"Fine by me." Poe sighed as he followed Rey into the underbrush. Finn squawked and Poe glanced at him, eyebrows creasing together. Well, at least there would be no more surprises once they got back home. Smooth sailing from here on out. At least Poe was choosing to believe that.

 

\---------

 

"Oh, yeah, teleporting into the courtyard of a heavily guarded palace was a great idea." Poe huffed, eyes on the archers who were peering warily at them from the outer walls. "Totally won't startle the guards or anything, won't cause mass panic..."

"Shut up, Dameron..." Rey whispered. Finn squealed and tucked his head against Poe's hip. They had appeared in a blue lightning strike, which was evidenced in the fractal pattern that had burnt the grass around them. Subtlety wasn't Rey's specialty.

Poe cleared his throat and raised his arms above his head, addressing the guards pointing spears at them with as clear a voice he could manage. "Easy, fellas. We're all friends here. Same goes for you two." Wary, Rey lowered her staff and Finn ruffled his feathers indignantly. Upon closer inspection Poe realised that swans were kind of big. Upright Finn could reach the middle of Poe's chest, easy. 

"Wait, Commander Dameron?" One of the guards raised her visor and squinted at the incongruous trio. "With all due respect sir, what the actual fuck?"

"Watch your mouth, Pava." he warned. "It's a long story. The General in?" 

"Yes sir. You know the way, I guess." Pava waved off the other guards and stepped away from the gate, but only after giving Rey an appreciative once over. Poe made a mental note to introduce the two of them later.  

"See? That was no trouble." Rey hummed as she skipped in front of Poe. He would argue, but that might not be the wisest idea, actually.

 

\---------- 

 

"You know, Commander, protocol calls for you to announce yourself in the front hall." Leia's voice rang out as soon as Poe pushed open the door to the war room. She stood considering a map on the wall, watching glowing blue lines creep across the paper. Poe had resigned himself to this magic in-laws stuff awhile ago, but the past few days was something of an overload.

"Don't think I could deal with a grand procession right now, ma'am. Just dropping this off." Finn poked out from behind Poe's legs, trying his very best to smile with a beak. "Figured you could use the company."

"Now where on earth did you find..." After hopping up onto the war table Finn squeaked and nuzzled joyfully against Leia's neck. A happy little coo purred in his chest as Leia gave his head a scratch. "Affectionate creature, isn't it?"

"Guess you could say that." Poe watched her settle Finn on the armchair by the table and held back a smile. "Oh, you took the southern front." he realised, turning to the map.

"Mm. We have Finn to thank for that plan." She walked over and held out her hand for him to kiss. Poe obliged, but Rey didn't take the time for such formalities. She just trotted over to the plate of shortbread jam cookies on the edge of the table. Eyes on the prize, that girl. "Hello to you too, missy."

"Hi, ma'am." Rey wiped some crumbs away from her cheeks and smiled a little. "I can explain, I swear."

"You'd better. That goes for you too, Dameron. Aren't you supposed to be out looking for my son or something?" 

"Lay off my fiancé, Mama." A familiar voice piped up from the table. Poe turned around and couldn't suppress a blush. At some point in the discussion it seems as though the sun had gone down. Finn sat on his father's old armchair with knees pulled up to his chest and arms wrapped around his legs. He flashed a sheepish smile and Poe just about melted. "It'd be a shame if you scared him off now."

"Finn?"  

"Hi, Mama. Please don't ground me." He grinned and held out his arms for an apologetic hug. Without question Leia gathered him up in her arms and squeezed him to her chest. It seems he was in the clear.

"Finn, angel, you..." Suddenly her expression shifted and she tugged Finn's ear, maternal indignation twitching in her upper lip. "You are _in_ for it, young man. Do you have any idea how long we've been looking for you?"

"Hey, being turned into a swan wasn't my idea. Rey did it." 

"Fuck off, Finn. I had to get Ren off your back. That takes time to do." Rey protested around the biscuits she had crammed into her mouth. That would be her fifth. Poe figured.

"You couldn't've told me so?" Finn mumbled as Leia pulled away. Poe was quick to move in and wrap Finn up in his cloak. The poor guy was probably freezing.

"I'm not your babysitter. Besides, you were fine..."

"I nearly poisoned myself with an apricot the first day."

"Aside from that you were fine." 

"Disengage, kids." Leia rapped on the table and when the three of them jumped she sighed, pointing at each of them in turn. She began with Finn, who just about flung Poe out of his lap. They couldn't go two minutes without getting their hands all over each other, could they?

"You, take a bath and go to bed. You, go make sure the proper defences are in place. And you..." Leia's finger hovered over Poe for a moment, then she nodded, a grim look on her face. "I've got things I need to discuss with you." 

**Author's Note:**

> guess who clicked the wrong playlist and wound up listening to Tchaikovsky. I feel so unintentionally classy.


End file.
